The Washington critic., 1887-03-14
WASHINGTON, MARCH IA, 1887
WHEELS THAT ARE BLOCKED.

An article appeared in the Snnddy
<ds6tto yesterday showing In detail the
various embarrassmonts that are Ger.
tain TO ensuc from the failure of the
General Deficiency bill and calling At.
1ention to various other considerations
that suggest the importance of con-
ycning Congress In extra session at an
early day-the sooner the better, and
far better this spring than next fall
The Deficiency bill is In It's very
nature one of the bills thn, the Govern
ment can least afford 10 lose. because
of its application II existing wants and
Immediately operative effect This
measure having been sacrificed 10 the
carelessuess and confusion of the clos
ing hours of the session, the effect will
be seriously felt, not only in matters OF
urgent interest to the District of Co.
lumbla, bu' in many others Of u more
general character, so that We cannot
be charged with advocating an extra
session ON merely local grounds. The
Gd5oitc partcular.Ens rs follows:
The operations ul every deartmcnt of tn,
Government Pru'in! uhcr, uf the executive
offices Of the Senate ard vt h. House Of Rep.
lesentatlyes, ol the Agricultural Department
aDd Of the District government will be scrl.
.usly hampeyel anil restricted. In the De-
raTtment ot state the consular service is de.
ranged. and the honor nf the Government
II ade to suffer. IN the Treasury Department
The employees who worked over hours during
The stiAiug days and nights OF last summer
are made 20 wait yet longer for the compcn-
sation so Justly due them. The printing Of
additional one and two dollar silver ccrtid-
Gates and legal notes is prevented by the
failure of this bill. Hell Gate must remain
nnlighted, or the ground on which the light.
house and fog signal are situated must be
used without legal right to do so. Our fur
interests must 20 without protection. and the
tax on oleomargarine be only half collected.
The South Boston Iron Works were con.
structing, under contract, guns for the
War Department. They 20 unpaid. The
sums required to complete the steel cruisers,
Chicago, Boston and Atlanta, are left unap.
propriated for, and the bureaus Of constrtic-
tion and repair and of steam engineering are
unrrovided with the money they need. The
Pension oftice Is left without the means Ia
employ the twenty.onc additional clerk
made necessary by the passage of the McNi.
The PostofflCe Department cannot be ex.
tended. The manufacture Of postage aul
special delivery stamps, stamped envelopes,
newspaper wrappers and letter sheets, regis.
tered package. tag, Official and dead-letter
envelopes Is either crippled or stopped by the
failure of this bill. The administration of
Justice is delayed by the failure 10 appropri.
ate for the fees and expenses Of the MarshalS
and the courts. Even our prisoners and In.
sane convicts are 10 - without support, no
provision having been made for 1t.
Another resulting misfortune con.
sis,s in the fact lint great number of
claims which have been aiiudicate In
favor Of ex soldiers and sailors aud
others not large in individual amounts,
but long due and involving much inl.
vidual hardship by the delay of pay.
melt. are held up I'LL another session
Of Congress aud possibly another
year.
We have pointed ont, time anl
again already, the necessity in many
additional respects for an extra ses.
sion and why it were the Wis policy to
call IT ut once instead Of converting the
next regular session into long session
ly beginning i, on the l,t of october,
But the President and his heads of De.
rariments have doubtless had all they
wint of Congress for while and will
insist upon taking few months rest.
That there will be fall session i;
altogether probable.